It is known to attach components to the mineral face side of the conveyor in an underground mine working to form a guide for a `swordless` plough. The plough is driven back and forth along the guide and the mineral face with the aid of a chain running in upper and lower passages at the mineral face side of the conveyor and protected within the guide. Spacers separate the upper and lower passages and pivotable covers serve to close off the upper passages. These covers are hinged at their lower sides to permit them to be swung outwards to expose the upper passage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,495, for example, describes a guide of this known type.
In another known construction described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,471 the covers have a flat upper surface adjacent an upstanding rib which forms additional guidance for the machine or plough.
It is also known to construct the guide from sections corresponding to the individual channel sections or pans of the conveyor and to connect the guide sections together with toggle-type couplings which permit some articulation while resisting traction forces.
A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved guide which is particularly stable even over a considerable height yet is easy to erect and assemble.